Laboured

Both the National Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Federal Government, from 9 to 14 February 2024, to fulfil the October 2023 agreement with the workers. Meanwhile, nurses protested in Abuja against new verification guidelines by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN), demanding a reversal of the rule. The NMCN’s circular outlines requirements for verification to foreign boards of nursing, including a non-refundable fee, at least two years of post-qualification experience, and a permanent practising licence. Nurses expressed concerns over limited career options and urged action on unemployment, quackery and nurses’ welfare.

An ironclad rule of policy-making in Nigeria is that whenever an obviously unpopular policy is to be introduced, it is usually bandied around by pro-government opinion shapers on traditional or new (social) media. The nursing verification certification is one such, especially because the idea of a forceful regulation of the emigration of health workers was not initially aimed at nurses but doctors. Nigeria’s healthcare system has been under immense strain for years following a lack of government investments, regular strike actions by health workers, underfunding of the health sector and abysmal pay, forcing doctors to emigrate mainly to the West for better opportunities. Nurses in many developed countries enjoy significantly higher salaries and better working conditions than their Nigerian counterparts. This stark contrast creates a powerful pull, luring skilled professionals away and leaving health centres short-staffed and staffed with barely experienced medical professionals. The government’s way of dealing with the medical brain drain is by using legislation to halt or slow the outward migration by attempting to stop it through restrictive application processes. It is not hard to see how this could backfire. First, interest in studying health-related courses could wane. Second, the strict requirements may result in increased racketeering and certificate forgery, potentially causing Nigeria to be blacklisted internationally for recruiting health workers. This could further hinder access to healthcare for those already struggling due to substandard services. As a result, Nigeria could end up with over 200 million unhealthy individuals relying on poorly regulated pharmaceutical companies, local herb manufacturers, and unqualified health practitioners. Instead of stemming the flow through restrictions, a more sustainable approach would be to address the demand-supply imbalance at its core. This necessitates boosting the supply of nurses, increasing the number of nursing schools and scholarships, enhancing training facilities, improving the work environment, offering competitive salaries and nurturing a robust domestic healthcare workforce. By doing the above, the government can organically stanch the outflow of nurses and elevate the quality of care available to all Nigerians. This investment in our healthcare future will yield benefits for generations to come.